Embedded or ceiling fitted illumination device with back reproducing decorative images

ABSTRACT

An illumination device is disclosed which comprises a box-like body having a back wall and side walls extending from the back wall, an opening being formed in a wall opposite the back wall while a decorative image is reproduced on an inner face of the back wall. A light source extends interiorly to a frame delimiting the opening, the side walls having inner faces made of reflective material.

DESCRIPTION

1. Scope of the Invention

The present invention generally concerns the field of interiorillumination and more specifically refers to an embedded orceiling-fitted illumination device on whose back decorative images arereproduced.

2. Description of the Background Art

The illumination of confined interiors, especially offices, work areas,exposition areas, transit or waiting rooms, may be achieved, among othermethods, by devices embedded in the ceiling or walls or fitted on theceiling. Aside from possible aesthetic value obtained from the shape ofthe single devices, this type of illumination may result anonymous andeven oppressive, especially in the presence of low ceilings or in roomsof small size.

For room personalisation, and also for the presentation of advertisingmessages in public transit rooms, light panels reproducing decorativeimages and various message types are frequently used. Solutions of thistype, whose primary function is not the illumination of the room, butrather the decoration or the transmission of messages, foresee anopalescent panel on which an image is reproduced and a light sourcelying behind whose light spreads in a nearly uniform manner through thepanel. Solutions of this type are essentially adapted for wallinstallation, and the images produced lack depth, which render themunsuitable for installation in those rooms characterised by modestdimensions.

OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide an illumination devicethat creates the illusion of natural illumination coming from anexternal source, suggested through a decorative image, preferably (evenif not exclusively) of naturalistic subject.

This object is achieved with the illumination device according to thepresent invention which comprises a box body with a back and with sidewalls extending from said back, an opening having been made on the wallopposite said back. On the inner face of said back a decorative image isreproduced, while a light source turned toward said back extendsinternally along a frame delimiting said opening, said side walls havingreflective surfaces.

The illumination device according to the invention, which may be usedfor both embedded ceiling or wall and ceiling-fitted installation, andalso for fitting with equivalent modules, has the advantage ofpermitting the illumination of a room by creating the illusion that thelight comes from a natural light source, the illusion being accentuatedby the sense of depth which the presence of the reflective side wallsgives to the background image.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be illustrated in greater detail with thefollowing description of one of its embodiments, given as a non-limitingexample with reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic section view of an illumination device accordingto the invention in the embedded version;

FIG. 2 is a schematic section view of an illumination device accordingto the invention in the ceiling-fitted version;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the ceiling installation of theillumination device according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the wall installation of a plurality ofillumination devices according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a box-like body of the illuminationdevice according to the invention is indicated with 1. The body 1 iscomposed of a back wall 2, side walls 3 extending from the sides of theback wall 2 and from a front wall 4 extending from the side walls 3,opposite from the back wall 2. In the present embodiment of theinvention, the front wall 4 is formed by a perimetric frame 4 aprojecting inside the side walls 3 delimiting an opening 4 b.

Inside the body 1, along the frame 4 a, a tubular, florescent lightsource 5 is arranged, providing a substantially uniform irradiationalong the perimetric extension of the frame 4 a. This last has a raisededge 4 c to hide the light source 5 from outside view. On the inner faceof the walls of back 2 a decorative image 6 is reproduced, for exampleof naturalistic type such as the image of a clear sky, a mountainous ormarine landscape, or in any case images characterised by their intrinsicluminosity or ability to suggest the sensation of natural light. Theinternal faces of the side walls 3 are made of reflective material inorder to exalt the depth of the transmitted image. The image may beprinted on a flexible panel, for example a plastic or paper film, andapplied directly to the back wall 2, or it may be reproduced on a rigidpanel, to be fastened to the back wall at a certain distance, also toallow the interposition of the power supply means 7 which are otherwiseplaced outside of the back 2.

The above-described illuminating device may be equipped with means whichpermit the embedded connection in a ceiling or wall or ceiling-fitting.These means, being of known type, are not illustrated in detail. Theillumination device according to the invention may be used on its own orin combination with other equivalent devices to form illuminatingsurfaces with natural backgrounds as illustrated in FIG. 3. Inparticular, embodiments may also be foreseen in which each illuminationdevice according to the invention constitutes a module of a complexcomposition, in which the background image present in each device isonly a fraction of a larger image which forms and is visible only afterall illumination devices have been installed, by appropriately combiningthem with respect to each other. One example of complex imagecomposition by way of the illumination devices according to theinvention is illustrated in FIG. 4.

It shall be clear from the above that, even if the primary object of thepresent invention is to provide an illumination device which gives thesensation of natural luminosity through the association withnaturalistic images, the same device may also be associated with anyother type of decorative image, comprising advertising messages, as longas it is equipped with its own intrinsic luminosity. In fact, the senseof depth conferred to the image, due to the structure of theillumination device according to the invention, permits the use of thedevice in applications where traditional light panels are notrecommended.

1. An illumination device which comprises: a box-like body with a backwall and side walls extending from the back wall, the side walls havingreflective inner surfaces: a front wall having a central openingconnected to the back wall by the side walls, wherein on an inner faceof the back wall a decorative image is reproduced and a light sourceextends at an inner side of the front wall around the central openingand in proximity to the side walls having reflective inner surfaces anda width substantially greater than the minimum necessary for housing thelight source so as to enhance a sensation of depth conveyed by theimage. internally on a frame delimiting the opening, the side wallshaving inner faces made of reflective material.
 2. The device set forthin claim 1, wherein the light source is distributed along the lenght ofthe frame.
 3. The device set forth in claim 2, wherein the light sourceis of the florescent type.
 4. The device set forth in claim 1, whereinthe decorative image reproduced on the back wall is a fraction of thesize of a larger image, which may be generated by combining a pluralityof the devices in a modular configuration.
 5. The device set forth inclaim 1, further comprising a device for embedded ceiling or wallconnection.
 6. The device set forth in claim 1, further comprising adevice for ceiling-fitted connection.
 7. The device set forth in claim1, further comprising an apparatus for embedded ceiling or wallconnection.
 8. The device set forth in claim 1, further comprising anapparatus for ceiling-fitted connection.